CDC Warns of Rising Cases of Skin-Disfiguring Parasite in U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about an increasing incidence of a skin-disfiguring parasite affecting residents in southern states. Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania parasites and transmitted through the bites of phlebotomine sand flies, has been identified as a growing concern in the region, with Texas emerging as a hotspot.
According to an NBC News report published on October 20, there were 1,222 positive leishmaniasis cases reported in the U.S. between 2005 and 2019, as per CDC data. Typically associated with travel to tropical or subtropical climates like the Middle East, central Asia, northern Africa, and Latin America, leishmaniasis is now being found in individuals with no history of foreign travel. Of the 86 leishmania samples examined, patients had no documented travel outside the U.S.
Texas, while not exclusively impacted, has seen a majority of reported cases, leading to concerns about the potential endemic nature of the parasite in the state. Cases have also been sporadically detected in Oklahoma and Arizona, with unconfirmed instances in Florida.
🔺CDC says skin-disfiguring parasite may be endemic in Texas, present in other states like Florida, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
🔺The CDC identified dozens of Leishmania cases — all without a history of travel outside the U.S. — over a 14-year period.https://t.co/6pxdvzVbjP
— George Monks, M.D. (@GeorgeMonks11) October 21, 2023
Vitaliano Cama, a senior adviser with CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, stated, “We cannot say that it is exclusive to Texas, but from the samples that were submitted to CDC, the majority were from Texas.”
Sandflies, responsible for transmitting the parasite, are prevalent in several southern states characterized by warm temperatures and woodlands. However, Texas is currently the only state obligated to report leishmaniasis cases to its health department, and there is no national requirement for reporting cases to the CDC.
The evolving understanding of leishmaniasis acquired within the U.S. complicates the assessment of the situation. Joshua Lieberman, assistant director of the molecular microbiology clinical laboratory at UW Medicine, noted, “It’s not clear to me whether the true rate of new infections is increasing or we’re just getting better at detecting it, or both.”
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